Official Review: We Drank Wine by Marion Reidel
Posted: 09 Nov 2019, 19:12
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "We Drank Wine" by Marion Reidel.]
4 out of 4 stars
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We Drank Wine, written by Marion Reidel, is a delightful collection of twenty-three short stories. The author dives into the lives and friendships of four Canadian women: Beth, Sandy, Celeste, and Janice. The first three are lifelong friends who met in college; the fourth is Celeste’s neighbor. In these amusing and heartwarming short stories, the author recounts different episodes involving the women, as well as their children, husbands, friends, and neighbors.
The women’s different personalities and relationships are the threads that connect the stories. Celeste is rich and fit; she has a professionally decorated home, a successful husband, attractive kids, and perfectly manicured nails. Sandy was a typical suburban mother until her handsome husband, Robert, left her “to pursue his midlife gender crisis.” Beth is a gentle soul whose flaky husband of thirteen years, Randall, embezzles money and vanishes. Janice is a rather irritating overweight woman.
The strength of this concise, 190-page book is the author’s vivid and multilayered prose, which I thoroughly appreciated. The stories are narrated using different voices and told from multiple perspectives. In some, one of the women uses the first person; in others, readers follow an external narrator. Some of the stories consist almost entirely of direct dialogue – “Bedtime Story” and “I’m Just a Girl” are noteworthy examples. The well-woven themes include marriage, divorce, parenting, homosexuality, and aging.
It’s hard to say which story I liked the most. I very much enjoyed the stories that revolved around Beth, who was by far my favorite character, especially “Breaking Through.” I also thought that “Caribbean Getaway,” narrated by Beth using the first person, wrapped things up beautifully. “A Short Drive” is an excellent example of how the author can humorously approach difficult themes (depression and suicidal ideation) and turn them around. The book has a surprisingly light approach to the human condition and its dilemmas – a sense of all’s well that ends well.
There’s nothing I disliked about We Drank Wine. I enjoyed every story. But if I had to pick one I liked the least, it would be “I Saved Someone’s Life,” narrated by Celeste. I suppose it’s only natural that her narration would reflect her frivolous personality and annoy me.
In closing, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It seems professionally edited, with only a few minor mishaps. It is a lovely, light, and entertaining read that will surely appeal to those who enjoy stories told from a feminine perspective. I liked it so much that I’m recommending it to my lifelong friends! I believe that they will relate to these stories as much as I did.
******
We Drank Wine
View: on Bookshelves
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
We Drank Wine, written by Marion Reidel, is a delightful collection of twenty-three short stories. The author dives into the lives and friendships of four Canadian women: Beth, Sandy, Celeste, and Janice. The first three are lifelong friends who met in college; the fourth is Celeste’s neighbor. In these amusing and heartwarming short stories, the author recounts different episodes involving the women, as well as their children, husbands, friends, and neighbors.
The women’s different personalities and relationships are the threads that connect the stories. Celeste is rich and fit; she has a professionally decorated home, a successful husband, attractive kids, and perfectly manicured nails. Sandy was a typical suburban mother until her handsome husband, Robert, left her “to pursue his midlife gender crisis.” Beth is a gentle soul whose flaky husband of thirteen years, Randall, embezzles money and vanishes. Janice is a rather irritating overweight woman.
The strength of this concise, 190-page book is the author’s vivid and multilayered prose, which I thoroughly appreciated. The stories are narrated using different voices and told from multiple perspectives. In some, one of the women uses the first person; in others, readers follow an external narrator. Some of the stories consist almost entirely of direct dialogue – “Bedtime Story” and “I’m Just a Girl” are noteworthy examples. The well-woven themes include marriage, divorce, parenting, homosexuality, and aging.
It’s hard to say which story I liked the most. I very much enjoyed the stories that revolved around Beth, who was by far my favorite character, especially “Breaking Through.” I also thought that “Caribbean Getaway,” narrated by Beth using the first person, wrapped things up beautifully. “A Short Drive” is an excellent example of how the author can humorously approach difficult themes (depression and suicidal ideation) and turn them around. The book has a surprisingly light approach to the human condition and its dilemmas – a sense of all’s well that ends well.
There’s nothing I disliked about We Drank Wine. I enjoyed every story. But if I had to pick one I liked the least, it would be “I Saved Someone’s Life,” narrated by Celeste. I suppose it’s only natural that her narration would reflect her frivolous personality and annoy me.
In closing, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It seems professionally edited, with only a few minor mishaps. It is a lovely, light, and entertaining read that will surely appeal to those who enjoy stories told from a feminine perspective. I liked it so much that I’m recommending it to my lifelong friends! I believe that they will relate to these stories as much as I did.
******
We Drank Wine
View: on Bookshelves
